Starting in 1963, the list picks the most necessary, though not necessarily the best, reads from each year. As with any endeavor of this size, there’s plenty to love and plenty to What? about, and even some to WTF? about. For example, WTF is The Master and Margarita from 1967? And also, WTF happened in 1969, when the competition for Flavorwire’s pick I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings included Slaughterhouse-Five; Portnoy’s Complaint; The Left Hand of Darkness; and Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle?

Pretty good year.

We were glad to see some Fiction Advocate favorites make the list, like Gravity’s Rainbow (1973); Speedboat(1976); Infinite Jest(1996); A Visit from the Goon Squad(2010); and presumptive favorite The Flame Throwers (2013). I’ve also heard that Brian Hurley has a bad habit of getting buzzed and weeping about how much he loved Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (1970).

I’ve actually heard of The Master and Margarita, and I want to read it, so I’m going to pretend your WTF in this instance means “Where the fuck,” as in, “Where the fuck is a copy of this book that I can give to Brian?”